


Drive

by yabamena



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Is No Help At All, Ficlet, M/M, Pre-Slash, Ronan Has A Foul Mouth, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 11:40:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2506472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yabamena/pseuds/yabamena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ronan Lynch is a man on fire. Adam Parrish fans the flames.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drive

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ania/gifts).



> Sorry this is a bit all over the place. I might flesh it out some at a later date.

Ronan's skin itched. No, not exactly. It was more like a subtle burn in his nerve endings. Something he couldn't get at but it didn't stop him from trying, nails dragging along the skin under the leather cord wrapped around his wrist.

He was restless. Even Chainsaw felt it. She perched on the right shoulder of the driver's seat, feathers ruffled and talons curving into the leather. Ronan lifted a hand to absently stroke her throat, but it didn't soothe either of them.

It was Henrietta.

It was the night before Halloween and the ley lines were practically _humming_. Ronan didn't remember it being like this last year. But then, last year he hadn't been hooked into Cabeswater like he was now. He was ready to wrap his car around a pole (again), or start a fight (again), or just do something he'd later regret (always). And if he was this wired now, tomorrow he was going to be _fucked_.

Ronan hissed out a breath between his teeth and cranked up the stereo until the bass almost drowned out the throbbing in his veins. Almost. He was practically standing on the gas, and it was a miracle the cops hadn't pulled him over already on his way to...

Where? Ronan didn't have a clue. He just felt like he needed to _go go go, faster, yes–_

STOP.

He hit the brake so fast he missed the clutch and stalled out. The radio went dead, leaving the BMW filled with Chainsaw's irritated squawking and flapping. Ronan would have calmed her if he wasn't so distracted by the car sitting just off the side of the road.

He knew that piece of shit car.

He knew that shape crouched by the front fender even better.

The burn under Ronan's skin sizzled and he had to take a breath before climbing out.

"Trouble, Parrish?" he called as he made his way over to Adam with a purposefully lazy gait. "Car whisperer losing his touch?"

Adam raised his head briefly and murmured something Ronan couldn't catch, then went back to staring down at his hand where he had it buried in the dirt.

A shiver joined the buzz along Ronan's nerves. "What?" He stood over Adam now, peering down at the top of his head. He would need a haircut soon or run afoul of Aglionby's dress code. Ronan's fingers twitched at the urge to run through the shaggy mess. It felt safer to curl them into a fist instead and spit acid. "Are you done fucking around or what?"

"You feel it too, don't you."

The words were quiet and Adam didn't look up, but Ronan felt like his legs were kicked out from under him and it was a long way down. Twisted as it was, he was looking forward to the impact. Because yeah. He felt it.

Ronan held out a hand. "Come on. I'll give you a jump and get you going." He didn't even smirk; give the man an Oscar.

Adam didn't laugh either, but he seemed to shake free of whatever it was that had a hold on him. He ignored Ronan's hand as he got to his feet and slapped the dirt from his hand against a jean-covered thigh. "There's nothing wrong with it." Adam looked at his car with a resignation so familiar most people would have thought it was just his resting face. "Ley lines got a hold of her for now."

The ley lines had a hold of a lot of things, Ronan thought. Adam looked at him and for a panicked second Ronan thought Adam had heard him, but all he said was, "Give me a lift?"

Still falling and still burning slowly, Ronan couldn't manage more than a shrug and a nod.

His tongue didn't work right until they were in the BMW. Chainsaw was back on her perch at his shoulder though she pecked at his ear in reproach, sharp enough to be a warning but gentle enough to leave his blood where it was. Ronan stroked her head in apology before seeing if the lines had wrung the life out his own ride. That would have really lit his fire in all the wrong ways, but the BMW came to life with a cough and a purr, and Ronan finally asked, "What were you doing out this time of night anyway?" His voice felt too loud in the confines of the car, but he was sitting on Adam's bad side so Ronan told himself to deal.

"I could ask you the same thing." Adam sat turned slightly towards Ronan, seat belt unfastened. Ronan wanted to stop, make Adam put it on, but he let it go. Even with the way Ronan drove, car accidents didn't rank too high on the list of things that would probably kill them. Not these days.

Well. Maybe. With Adam in the car now, it was taking all of Ronan's concentration to keep them on the road. He was more of a distraction than usual, every atom of his shape a pin prick against Ronan's skin.

What were they talking about again? Oh, right. "I don't know. Doesn't matter."

"There you go."

It wasn't really an answer, not a satisfying one anyway, and Ronan thought maybe he'd asked the wrong question. He pushed the words past his lips. "Were you waiting for me?"

"You know it's the other way around, right?" Adam wasn't cruel about it like Ronan would have been, but Ronan flinched and the car swerved. Instinct had Ronan correcting in an instant, but he felt like he was still staring down a tractor trailer at 80mph. It shouldn't have been a surprise hearing his truth laid out like that; Adam wasn't stupid and it was only a matter of time. But he'd been ready, been hoping to die with that secret.

And Adam knew.

"Breathe, Ronan." Adam's voice was calm. Everything about him was calm when Ronan glanced over at him. Adam was so still, relaxed almost, his mouth holding a memory of a smile. Like he hadn't just exposed Ronan to himself and nearly made him drive them into a ditch.

And really, how the _fuck_ did Adam expect Ronan to breathe when he placed a hand on his knee like it was nothing? Like Ronan wasn't burning already?

"Are you fucking kidding me?" The words burst from Ronan, riding somewhere between angry and incredulous as he gripped the steering wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles pale.

The corner of Adam's mouth kicked up as he settled back into the passenger seat. "You know where we're headed." Another non-answer and Adam's hand stayed where it was, but Ronan could feel something not quite electric inching up his thigh.

He didn't dare assume he knew anything about what was happening. Not in Henrietta, not with Gansey, and sure as shit not with him and Adam. But he knew Cabeswater had its hooks in all of them, and it was reassuring to know he wasn't the only one struggling on the line.

Ronan didn't know where they were heading, but he could guess.

The smile that split his face was a knife as he stomped on the gas.


End file.
